US capital extends stay-at-home order through June 8

WASHINGTON

The nation’s capital extended a stay-at-home order through June 8, Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday.

The order in Washington, DC was set to expire Friday, but Bowser said she would follow health authorities' advice to curb spread of the virus.

"I should note that, based on the data, I can revise this order at any time to reflect a phased reopening, if the data suggests that we can do that," she said.

The mayor warned of "tragic results" in rushing to reopen the district.

"We are eager to turn our economy on but we know a second outbreak could be even worse," she said.

The city has more than 6,500 coronavirus cases and registered 350 deaths from COVID-19 that has infected 1.3 million nationwide.

Bowser said DC is launching a pilot program that "will grant waivers to locally owned stores in the city that sell educational items, such as books for curbside and front door pickup," she added.

More than 82,000 COVID-19 deaths have been detected in the US, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The first death occurred Feb. 29 in Washington state.